Windfall Tax on the Excess Profits of Energy Companies: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-30
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Richard O'Donoghue (II), Limerick County

The reason we are in this situation in this country is that the last Government, of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, signed up to a climate target in Europe that was unachievable. Where are the Greens today? They are not here. One Deputy is what is left. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, however, signed up to that unrealistic climate target which is putting everybody in this country now in the predicament that we are in.
The Tánaiste was on the television yesterday saying that people are saying that the carbon tax cannot be abolished. Under the European ruling they agreed to, he is right. It cannot be abolished, but a fixed tax price can be achieved when we see what has been done in other countries. Let us look at Malta and Poland. All the European countries have a tax base doing different things from what we are doing. In Europe, it is said that it is necessary to charge the minimum amount of tax when it comes to energy. The Government is charging the maximum amount of tax because it is using a percentage model. Every time we get a shock in fuel costs, 50% of the price increase is tax. That is the Government's fault for putting that on the people of Ireland. If it applied a fixed price tax, running from budget to budget, it would have the same tax revenue from fuel that it had last year and the year before on a fixed tax price. If there were any increase, the person would have to pay that increased price, but it would be 50% less than what the Government is charging above €1.70.
I have been explaining this to the Government. I have talked to economists about this. I have talked to people in Europe about this. I was in Dublin Castle last week co-chairing an event as part of the European Presidency.
I spoke to other delegates who said it was common sense. Why can our Government not see that it could help everyone in this country by imposing a fixed tax price on petrol and diesel and a second measure for the agriculture industry which is producing food? There should be a no tax policy on that sector at a time of crisis. That is all I am asking. The Government cannot see that. It is putting everyone here at risk and into poverty.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-30/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-30